rained vaſt numbers of people in a little compaſs. s Who are numbred apart totkeir honour, to ſhew how readily they, to whom the Kingdom was premiled, Ger. 49. 10. ſubmitted ro their King, though of another and far mezner Tribe ; and how willing they were to hazard themielves for their Brerthrens Reſcue, alchough they might have excuſed themſelves from the neceſlity of defend- Fr their own Country from their dang-rous Neighbours the Phil:- " ſt1nes, 9 And they faid unto the meſſengers that came, Thus ſhall ye ſay unto the men of Jabeſh-gilead, To | Or, del;> MOTrOW #t by that time the ſun be hot, ye thall have verance, |[|help. And the meſſengers came, and ſhewed 3t, to the men of Jabeſh, and they were glad. aft,
2 To wit, the day after your departure hence, or return home ; ſor It ſeems probable, that ſome few days had ben ſpene 1n the ga- thering and diſpoling of the Forces, and bringing chem towards thole parts.
10 Therefore the men of Jabeſh ſaid, To morrow
we will come out unto you, and ye ſhall do with us all tat ſeemeth good unto you #«.
they did, and might reaſonably and. juſtly undertand their own Condition before propo:ed, wv. 3« if none came to fave them :
S 4 M © E ©
|
which they were not now oblidged to repeat, alchough they con. je&ured, that their Enemies would underitand it abſolutely, whote Error therein they were no more obliged ro Corre&, than ro pre- vent their DeſtruQion. Nor did they tell any lye herein, bur only concealed part of their Intentions, to render their Enemy more fſe- cure and fit for Ruine; which kind of Stratagems are Uiual, aid allowed by all perſons. Bag
11 And it was ſo on the morrow, that Sau! put the people into three companies x, 2nd they came into the mid{t of the hoſt in the morning watch y, and flew the Ammonites, until the heat of the day : and it came to paſs, that they which remained were ſcattered, fo that ewo of them were nor left together. - :
x That ſo Invading them on ſeveral ſides with a great Force, he might both ſtiike them with the greater Terror, and prevent thzir eſcape. y Having marciixd all the Day and Night before it. S
12 © And the people faid unto Samuel, * Who # he * C that ſaid, Shall Saul reign over us 2? * brin that we may put them to death a. -
z They did not ſay fo interms, as we may ſee. chap 10. wv 27. bur this was the Deſign and Conſequence of their Speech, as they
rivhrly conſtrue it» 2 Which rill this rime they were not able ro do, becauſe thar Inf<C&tion was then a!moft univerſal.
hap. g the men 10: 27: — * Luke
19, 27+
death this day : for to day the LORD hath wrought 19. 22» ſalvation in Iſrael b, Ks
b I will not deſtroy any of thoſe whom God hath ſo graciouſly preſerved ; nrr ſully che Mirth of this gloricus and comfortable Day with the {|:ughter of anyof my Subjects: and therefore I freely forgive them. Wherein Sau! ſhewed his Policy as well as his Clc- mency, this being the moſt likely way to gain his Enemies, and ſecure his Friends, and ſtabliſh his Throne in the Hearts cf his peo= ple:
14 Then c ſaid Samuel to the people, Come, and let us goto Gilgal d, and renew the kingdom there e
c Whilſt the people were together by Jabeh-Gilead, wherein Samuels great prudence and Fideliry to Saul is evident. He ſuſpen= ded the Contirmation of Saul at firſt, whilſt the generality of the people were diſaffe&ed and diſcontented at the meanneſs of his Per- ton: and now when he had given ſuch eminent proof ofhis Prince- ly Vertues, and when the peoples hearts were unanimouſly and eagerly ſer upon him, he rakes this as the firteſt ſeaſon for that work. & This place he choſe, both becauſe it was near, and, to moſt of them, in the way of their homes ; and becauſe rhither the Iſraelites on this ſidey and beyond Jordan, might more eaſily reſort ; and becauſe it was famous for publick Conventions there k+pt, and particularly, for the Covenant there renewed by Joſhus berween God and the people. e i. e. Confirm our former Choice, to pre-
vent all ſuch Seditious Expreſſions and AQGtions as we had ex ence of at the former Ele&ion-
15, Andall the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king f before the LORD g in Gilgal : and there they ſacrificed facrifices of peace-offerings b, before the LORD : and there Saul and all the men of Ifrael rejoyced greatly.
f ( i. e. ) They Recognized him, orowned and accepted him for their King by conſent; for to ſpeak proper'y, Saul was not made, or conſtituted King by the people, but by the Lords immediate Ac; ſee chap. 8. 9. and 10. 1: g Who was there preſent in a ſpe- cial- manner ; both becauſe the people of rhe Lord were there AL ſembled, and becauſe there was an Altar, as the following Sacrifices ſhew- The ſame Phraſe is uſed chap. 10. 17. and 14. 18. þ Partly to praiſe God for fo glorious a Viltory, and for the firm Settlement of the diſtraft-d Kingdom ; and partly, to implore the Preſence and Aſſitance of God to the King and Kingdom, in all their Afffairs
and Exigencies.
CH AP. XI,
Samuel having appointed a king unto the people : reſtifizth his own Integrity, to which they witneſs, 1,——5. He ſetteth before them the ſens of their Anceſtors : and their own ſin in asking a king, 6z === 17, Comforts them if they will obey the Lord : threatens the diſobedient : terrifies them by thunder in harveſt : they confeſs their ſin, and deſire to be reconciled t9 the Lord, 14,— 19. He comforts and exhorts them to fear and ſerve the Lird : promiſiug alſo to pray for them, 20, == 25.
\ ND Samuel ſaid unto all Ifrael -, Beho!d, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye ſaid un- to-me, and have made a king over you.